Denial Is Not Just a River
by TumblingTroublesomeTumbleweeds
Summary: One of many stories of how my sister's OC and Jushiro Ukitake got together. Hopefully kinda funny, written for her birthday 3 love ya Bug!


Kushira sighed, this was proving harder than it should be. "Is it true Lieutenant Hikamara?" Kushira jumped and turned to face a young female Shinigami "is it true that you and Captain Ukitake are dating?"

Kushira flushed a dark shade of red, she recognized the young girl as a Shinigami in the 13th division…_his _division.

She smiled trying to soften her next words "and if we are? Why does it matter? Does it affect your duties?" The young Shinigami flushed darker than Kushira "n-no" she stuttered "I was just…just wondering" Kushira blinked once "it's alright to be curious but prying into personal lives is going to get you into a lot of trouble at some point"

The young Shinigami nodded vigorously relieved the lieutenant hadn't evoked some punishment on her and hurried away.

Kushira let out a groan and buried her head in her knees. "Is it true what they're saying Lieutenant Hikamara?" she glanced up when she heard her captain's voice "are you really dating Captain Ukitake?"

Kushira sighed, Momo Hinamori, her captain and best friend deserved to know at least. She nodded her head "yes it is true"

Delighted squeals molested her ears and babbled congratulations from the Shinigami women standing behind Momo.

"You're so lucky lieutenant!" she heard a voice say even though she couldn't figure out who it was "I knew it!" she was pretty sure that was Rangiku Matsumoto "Oh, I'm so jealous." Kiyone Kotetsu's voice rang out "I'm so happy for you" Rukia Kuchiki's voice piped up.

"So how did you two get together, Kushira?" Momo asked sitting down next to her lieutenant. The other women sat in various spots around the red-haired lieutenant.

Kushira figured playing dumb was the best way to go about this situation "what do you mean? I see him all the time" "no, no" Momo said emphatically "I mean, when did you realize it was…love?" she fluttered her eyelashes and the women tittered

Just as Kushira predicted, this started a bombardment of questions from around the room.

"When was your first date?" "When was your first kiss?" "I bet he's a romantic" "was it love at first sight?" "Tell us everything" Momo said "knowing him, I'm sure it was very romantic"

"Never mind that" Rangiku said. "Let's skip to the important stuff. Tell us what he looks like naked!" Kushira turned a darker crimson than blood "really Rangiku-san" she asked embarrassed "do I ask you questions like that?" "you can if you want" she replied "so come on, what does he look like?"

"You all saw him at the beach." Kushira pointed out. "Well…yeah?" Rangiku said "we only saw his upper half though" Kushira wished the floor would open up and swallow her whole. Momo, sensing her friend's discomfort shooed the ladies away "girls, I need to talk to my lieutenant alone"

A chorus of 'aww' sounded but at a stern look from the miniscule captain they dispersed. Kushira was tempted to kiss her friend for giving her a reprieve.

"Thank you Momo" she said gratefully and Momo smiled "don't worry…that's private business but I _do _want to know how you guys fell in love"

Kushira blushed again; she supposed she owed her friend that much for shooing away the others. Sitting down she gestured to Momo who followed suit "well, we've kinda been in love for a long time…we just denied it as you very well know" Momo nodded

"_Look, Momo" she said pleadingly "I don't love him okay? I don't!" Momo studied her "who are you trying to convince? Me or you?" Kushira blinked but shook her head "I don't" she repeated again to herself "I don't love him"_

_/_

_Kushira closed her eyes "listen, just talk to him" Captain Shunsui Kyoraku said "just talk to him and see" Kushira stamped her foot, green eyes flying open "I don't love him!" she said "is that true?" Kushira gasped in surprise and turned to see the tall, slim frame of Captain Jushiro Ukitake "is it true you don't love me?" Kushira opened and closed her mouth, but no sound came out._

"_I'll leave you two alone" Shunsui left the room, sliding the door shut. Jushiro slowly approached her and she swore he could hear her heart pounding. Why did he have this affect on her? She hated it, she wasn't, wasn't, wasn't in love…but she was._

"_I have to go" she tried to leave but Jushiro captured her wrist "please just talk to me" he was so gentle and compassionate and she loved him so much she felt like she was going to explode…but she refused to cave in. She had loved Sosuke and look where that got her._

"_It doesn't matter" she said defiantly praying her eyes weren't giving away her feelings "I don't love you anyways" she looked away. Jushiro gripped her chin gently and tilted it up, she kept her eyes turned away "is that so?" he mused._

"_Look me in the eyes and say you don't love me" he said still holding onto her chin. Kushira blinked, eyes cast downwards, she slowly raised them to meet his and she looked like she was about to say something but the words died on her lips when she met his eyes._

_Jushiro saw defeat, she swallowed and with a hoarse voice "I…don't love you" she said even though her eyes said differently. She pulled out of his grasp and turned to leave when he called "who are you lying to Kushira? Me or you?" she paused at the door "I don't know anymore" she whispered before disappearing into the night._

Momo blinked "but that's not how you guys got together, is it?" Kushira shook her head "that was only the catalyst" she smiled softly remembering the moment she finally caved into her feelings "no, I happened to encounter him training in the woods…well actually I think he was trying to blow off some steam…"

_Kushira couldn't stop thinking about her encounter with Jushiro. Why did she hesitate? Did he love her? If his behavior was any indication…she felt a massive and very familiar spiritual pressure. Following it she stopped short, a very shirtless Captain Jushiro Ukitake was standing in a clearing holding his released zanpakuto, she watched as he made short work of the surrounding trees. Feeling slightly indecent at spying she tried to make herself known, well she did…by falling down the hill she was standing on._

_Jushiro looked up in surprise as an avalanche of earth came tumbling down from a cliff. His eyes widened when he heard a small "ow" hurrying over he saw a figure wearing Shinigami robes half hidden by the dirt. _

"_Are you okay?" he asked hurriedly brushing the dirt off. His eyes widened when he caught sight of the disheveled redhead "Kushira?" he asked helping her up "what are you doing here?"_

_Kushira blushed "I wanted to talk to you actually" she said holding onto his hand. She looked up at him through dirty eyelashes "about what I said" Jushiro studied her all dirt-covered and scratched up and fell deeper in love._

"_I've been scared" she confessed "too scared to admit even to myself how I really felt…" he cut her off "I understand" he said gently brushing a smear of dirt off her cheek. She smiled up at him, words weren't needed for this exchange. _

_He gently tilted her head up but this time she met his eyes. He pressed his lips to hers and her heart raced as she kissed back. Once they broke apart, Jushiro studied her "let's get you cleaned up" he said putting his arm around her shoulders and walking her back to the barracks._

Momo sighed "aww so romantic!" she said eyes lit up "he's loved you for a long time" she said earnestly and Kushira blinked "it's been obvious to everybody but you" Kushira blushed "what do you mean?"

Momo sighed "you haven't seen the looks he gives you do you? It's obvious in the meetings…and when you're talking" Kushira flushed "wait…you knew from the beginning?"

"Knew what?" a familiar voice said and Kushira's heart raced. Momo smirked "I'll leave you two alone" she said standing up "Captain Ukitake" she inclined her head "Captain Hinamori" he said warmly.

Once Momo left Kushira felt a gentle hand on her neck. She smiled and allowed the hand to drift through her hair and down her back. She shivered at the sensation and a warm chuckle wrapped around her like a blanket.

Kushira leaned against him and turned around "hey" she whispered "this is a surprise" he smiled "and why is that?" he asked Kushira smiled crookedly "what is the captain of the 13th division doing in the 5th division barracks?" she asked, he grinned "well I was looking for someone" he said running his fingers through her hair "oh?" he nodded "someone special to me…I heard she might be the lieutenant"

Kushira's frowned in mock confusion "sorry couldn't help you there" she said "our lieutenant is already taken" "oh what a shame" he said smiling "what about you?" Kushira grinned "sorry…I'm taken too" "what a lucky man" he whispered kissing her.

There was a flash of light ad a chorus of "aww!" they broke apart to see the whole of the Shinigami women's association standing around them. The couple turned bright red and Kushira hid behind her hair "you two are so sweet together!" Kiyone Kotetsu said smiling.

Kushira glanced at Sui-Feng, Sui-Feng was holding a camera "Captain Sui-Feng?" Kushira asked tentatively "why are you holding a camera?"

Sui-Feng smiled maliciously "well there has been quite a bit of confusion as to whether you and Captain Ukitake were really in a relationship…this will clear a lot of them" Sui-Feng held the camera out to show a rather-flattering picture of Kushira sitting with her back against the wooden pillar and her hands clutching Jushiro's captain's haori and Jushiro kneeling with his lips pressed against hers hands tangled in her hair.

They both turned a matching shade of crimson and Kushira tried to grab the camera away but Sui-Feng was too fast "I also have…" she held up a picture of Kushira and Jushiro gazing into each other's eyes "and…" she held up a picture from earlier of Kushira with her eyes closed while Jushiro ran his hands through her hair.

"What are you going to do with them?" she asked nervously and Sui-Feng grinned "check tomorrow's 'Seireitei Times'" she said before dashing off.

Kushira and Jushiro exchanged troubled glances and quickly followed her.

_Epilogue_

Kushira turned redder than her hair when she glanced at the picture of her and Jushiro kissing "RUMOR CONFIRMED" read the headlines "CAPTAIN JUSHIRO UKITAKE NO LONGER A BACHELOR pg. 7"

She flipped to page 7 nervously and groaned as she saw the other two photos along with one of them kissing in the cove when everybody went to the beach. She began reading

"_There have been rumors going around that the 13__th__ division captain Jushiro Ukitake and the 5__th__ division lieutenant Kushira Hikamara are currently in a relationship. Confirmation of these rumors came when a reliable source snapped this heated photograph of the pair sitting on the 5__th__ division's porch, along with the others included in the article. Captain Jushiro Ukitake, widely known and loved has been a Gotei 13 captain for the past 200 years despite his severe illness. He and Lieutenant Hikamara were Academy classmates and quite frankly, it was expected that the pair of them would end up together one day. Lieutenant Kushira Hikamara likewise, has been with Gotei 13 for 200 years and is well loved among the Shinigami and many of the commoners. She has turned down five promotions to captain rank for unknown reasons. Hikamara was also known to have been in a relationship with the Soul Society traitor Sosuke Aizen prior to his betrayal and it is rumored that when his betrayal was made known, she fell into a depression during which Ukitake took care of her. Several witnesses to the interactions of the pair in the past have stated __**"they are simply made for each other"**__ and __**"it's a shame they're too blind to see how perfect they are together." **__Captain Shunsui Kyoraku, 8__th__ division captain and a close friend to both of them granted an interview __**"well, it was widely known throughout the Academy that Kushira and Jushiro-the most popular students-would wind up together once they graduated. Sadly enough it didn't happen and all the bets went to…well, me…now finally they**__**wind up together and I'm not quite sure what to do…aside from be happy for them of course"**_

Kushira gritted her teeth; she was going to kill Shunsui. She skimmed through the rest of the article and read the byline "Shuhei Hisagi" she was going to kill Hisagi the next time she saw him and as for Sui-Feng…an evil grin split her face as she pulled out a stack of photos…

Sui-Feng kissing a picture of Yoruichi Shihoin…

Sui-Feng's collection of black-cat themed items…

The wicked grin stayed on her face all the way to the Seireitei Times HQ…


End file.
